Teachers strike in Philadelphia; parents make daycare plans

In this story: Talks hit snag over working hours Mayor calls for union vote RELATED STORIES, SITES

PHILADELPHIA, Pennsylvania (CNN) -- Some 21,000 members of the Philadelphia Federation of Teachers launched a "work stoppage" at the close of school Friday, leaving the parents of children in public schools scrambling to find baby-sitters or daycare if the strike continues Monday.

Besides causing problems for parents, the strike could disrupt voting on Election Day if it continues through November 7. Nearly 25 percent of the city's polling stations are located inside public schools. Union spokesman Bob Bedard said some people may not want to cross picket lines to vote.

Talks hit snag over working hours

Negotiations broke down Friday between the union and the school district over the length of the work day.

"This is a sad day for the children of Philadelphia," PFT president Ted Kirsch said as he left city hall, where negotiations were taking place.

"We're close, we're very close, but it's not over 'til you cross that finish line, and we hope to be able to do this as quickly as possible," he added.

Bedard said Philadelphia Mayor John Street forced the teachers' hand when he imposed new work rules September 28. Those new rules included an 18 percent pay raise spread out over five years, changes in health benefits that lowered workers' compensation and raised deductibles and co-pays, the elimination of a stipend teachers are paid to coach or instruct extracurricular activities, and the lengthening of a teacher's work day by one hour.

Mayor calls for union vote

The mayor wants the union membership to vote on the proposed contract.

"This is the last, best offer, folks. And it should go to the membership... and you don't have to be a rocket scientist to figure out that there's no more money," Street told reporters after talks broke down.

Street said if the teachers were still on strike Monday, he would approach Gov. Tom Ridge about a "friendly takeover" of the school district, as is his right under a two-year-old law called Act 46.

That law, in part, makes it illegal for teachers to strike if their district is taken over by the state. If they do strike and refuse an order to return to work, they can lose their state teaching certificates and risk changes in their pensions.

The mayor's office and the school district office did not return calls for comment.

Nearly 210,000 children attend public schools in Philadelphia, the nation's seventh-largest school district.

A teachers' strike there in 1981 lasted 51 days.

Philadelphia Federation of Teachers
Philadelphia School District

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